Sturm, Ruger & Co. KSPNY-182 Double-Action-Only Revolver

Manufactured in 1990 as a law enforcement contract variant
(State Police of New York) of Ruger's SP-101, this double
action-only revolver with factory bobbed hammer incorporates many
features of the company's earlier GP-100 and Super Redhawk. This
example is rated for P ammunition and bears a factory "SPNY" stamp
on the left side of the frame.

William Batterman Ruger was born on June 21, 1916 in Brooklyn,
New York. As a young man, he developed an interest in firearms,
their design, and their operation. While attending the University
of North Carolina, Ruger designed a machine gun, and after leaving
the school, he worked in a North Carolina machine shop and as a
designer for Springfield Armory. In 1941, Ruger was hired by Auto
Ordnance, where he spent the war years improving light machine gun
designs.

In the post-war years, he briefly turned his attention elsewhere
and founded his own machine shop and tool manufacturing company,
the Ruger Corporation, based in Southport, Connecticut. During this
period, Bill Ruger also worked on a design for a semi-automatic .22
caliber rimfire pistol. Although his company encountered severe
financial difficulties, Ruger continued with this project, and
eventually received a U.S. patent for his work. In 1949, Ruger
formed a partnership with Alexander Sturm, an artist, author, and
firearms collector.

Sturm provided the capital, Ruger his patent, and the two
entrepreneurs began to produce and market their semi-auto pistol.
This gun, with its red eagle crest medallion on the grip panels,
met with favor among both shooters and dealers, and its design
allowed it to be manufactured less expensively than the competing
Colt Woodsman. Sturm, Ruger & Co. quickly became a financial
success. Over the years, this gun has been offered in various
configurations including a military training version, but after a
50 year production run that has seen the production of over 2
million pistols, the popular Sturm Ruger .22 semi-auto remains
basically unchanged.

In 1951, Alexander Sturm died, and Bill Ruger changed the color
of the company's grip panel medallion from red to black. The
company continued its operations, and in 1953, Sturm, Ruger &
Co. began to market a single-action revolver, first in .22 caliber,
and later in larger centerfire chamberings, including .44 Magnum
caliber. These guns were also a success, and they gained a
reputation for quality and reliability. Beginning in 1973, the
company introduced the New Model single-action revolvers, which
employed a transfer bar safety mechanism similar to that used in
double-action models. This feature prevents accidental discharge if
the gun is dropped, thus allowing these revolvers to be carried
safely with six rounds in the cylinder.

By 1959, the company relocated to a larger facility in
Southport, and within a year, this new plant was expanded to meet
increased demand. Sturm, Ruger & Co. later added rifles to
their product line, beginning with the introduction of a .44 magnum
autoloading carbine in 1960. This was followed by other models,
including the semi-auto Mini-14 and Mini-Thirty rifles, the
single-shot No. 1 and No. 3 rifles, the lever-action Model 96
Carbine and semi-auto 10/22 rifle, both of which feature a unique
rotary magazine, and the Mauser-type M-77 bolt-action rifle. Ruger
also introduced an over/under shotgun line, known as the Red Label,
for the skeet, sporting clays, and hunting markets.

In 1971, Sturm, Ruger & Co. began production of
double-action centerfire revolvers intended for the law enforcement
and personal defense market. The popular Speed-Six was available in
.38 Special, .357 Magnum, or 9mm calibers. This model was later
joined by the Security-Six and Police Service-Six. The large-frame
Redhawk revolver, chambered for .357 Magnum, .41 Magnum, and .44
Magnum, joined the line in the 1980s, as did the GP-100 and SP-101
revolvers.

In addition to single- and double-action revolvers, the company
also manufactures semi-automatic centerfire pistols in 9mm, .40
S&W, and .45 ACP calibers. In addition to its firearms
manufacturing activities, Sturm, Ruger & Co. also is the
largest producer and user of investment castings in the industry.
The investment casting process allows parts to be manufactured with
a minimum of machining, but without sacrificing strength. These
parts also help to keep production costs down, a savings which is
passed along to the consumer.

Pine Tree Castings, the company's Newport, New Hampshire
subsidiary, was founded in 1963 to provide investment castings for
its parent company. This precision facility also manufactures
castings for other uses, including titanium golf clubs, brake
rotors, and medical implants. In 1991, Sturm, Ruger & Co.
ceased its manufacturing operations in Southport. The company's
offices remained there, but rifle and shotgun production moved to
Newport, New Hampshire, and pistol production was relocated to
Prescott, Arizona. The company's success over the last half-century
has been due to a combination of factors.

Among these are an ability to identify the diverse needs and
desires of the shooting community, including police and military
end-users as well as sportsmen, designs that fill these needs, and
extensive use of modern technology to allow high-quality firearms
to be manufactured inexpensively. From its humble beginnings in
Southport, Sturm, Ruger & Co., has grown to employ over 2,000
workers in its various manufacturing and administrative facilities
in Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Arizona.

On July 6, 2002, William B. Ruger died peacefully at the age of
86 in his Prescott, Arizona home after a lengthy period of failing
health. He is survived by his son, Bill Jr., current Chairman of
Sturm, Ruger; his daughter, Carolyn R. Vogel; and by six
grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.